The present invention relates to devices for transferring articles, delivered by a magazine, to inlets of channels for feeding blister bands.
More particularly, the present invention relates to a device for collecting and recycling exceeding articles, like for instance, tablets, capsules, pills, etc. directed to feeding channels, e.g. channels for feeding blister bands.
Known devices for transferring articles, like for instance, tablets, capsules, pills, etc. received from a magazine situated upstream or above thereof, include a linear vibrating conveyor, which arranges and directs these articles toward inlets of channels for feeding blister bands situated therebelow.
The usual working modes by which the transferring devices direct the articles to the inlets of the feeding channels, and the way of operation for feeding the blister bands performed by the channels, determine a surplus of these articles in the region of the inlets.
In time, the surplus of articles at the inlets of the channels can become excessive; in order to avoid this, there are transferring devices, known in the prior art, which include means operated mechanically to collect the exceeding articles and to take them again to the transferring device.
For example, one of the used solutions for collecting the exceeding articles includes positioning, at the inlets of the feeding channels, brush means which push the articles in excess, accumulated near the inlets, backwards onto the linear vibrating conveyor.
The document EP-A-0555662 describes a device for transferring articles of small dimensions, such as tablets, capsules, pills, and the like, which includes a first forward linear vibrating conveyor, which receives the articles from a corresponding upper magazine and transfers them downstream toward a subsequent feeding station, while arranging them in a correct position, and a second backward linear vibrating conveyor, which receives the articles not correctly arranged, and/or in excess, from the final section of the first conveyor and then transfers them upstream, re-positioning them into the initial section of the first conveyor.
The articles in excess or not correctly oriented and arranged are transferred from the first forward conveyor to the second return conveyor due to a particular technique including mechanical operating the vibration of the first conveyor, which has, in the region corresponding to the final portion, transversal component sending the articles in excess to the second conveyor.
However, the known devices for collecting the articles in excess do not include a check operation of these articles before returning them to the conveyor, that would be necessary to reject those articles which have been damaged during the backward transferring to such extent that makes them unsuitable to be packaged into blister packs.
In fact, the collecting operation of the articles in excess can provoke damages to the latter, such as scratches or chipping, due to possible collision which the articles undergo.
Moreover, during different collecting steps, the exceeding articles can break due to possible collision and, consequently, they are no longer suitable for being sent toward the feeding channels of the blister bands.
The object of the present invention is to propose a device for collecting and recycling articles directed to the feeding channels, which is able to avoid the above mentioned drawbacks.
More in particular, the main object of the present invention is to propose a device, which collects and recycles the articles in excess situated near inlets of the feeding channels and, moreover performs a check operation to determine the adequacy of the collected articles before they are recycled to the inlets.
The above mentioned objects are obtained, in accordance with the contents of the claims, by a device for collecting and re-cycling articles sent toward feeding channels, including:
a station, where the articles are accumulated;
a selecting member, situated downstream of said accumulation station for receiving, in a predetermined way, said articles from said accumulation station, said selecting member being aimed at selecting and holding complying articles, separating them from faulty, fragmented articles and from powders present among said articles;
a linear conveyor member, situated downstream of said selecting member, aimed at receiving, from said selecting member, said complying articles and at sending them in ordered way to the inlets of said feeding channels;
collecting means, situated directly downstream of said inlets and aimed at receiving, from said conveyor member, the exceeding articles accumulated near the inlets, and transferring means, aimed at receiving, from said collecting means, exceeding articles and at transferring said exceeding articles to an initial section of said selecting member, so that the articles are verified, re-cycled and their compliance is verified again.